It’s been almost seven years since this project was first proposed to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada back in 2003 and the lagoon is now in the last stages of receiving final approvals and funding.

Ton Knijnenburg, minerals and capital projects co-ordinator for Kasabonika Lake, said projects like the lagoon usually take two years to get off the ground, but the lagoon has faced a number of delays.

The first delay was conducting a study to determine what the best long-term solution for Kasabonika Lake would be.

“We looked at upgrading the existing sewage treatment plant as opposed to building a new lagoon to help us see what the most cost efficient solution for the government would be in the long-term,” Knijnenburg said. “The second delay was in the overall design process due to the lack of capital funding.

“It’s a $10-million project and that’s a lot of money to set aside for just one project. We first had to have those capital dollars identified with an Indian Affairs capital plan before any design procedures could move forward.”

The best long-term solution was to build a lagoon because it will take care of Kasabonika Lake’s sewage needs for the next 20 years. It also allows room for growth in Kasabonika’s population and economy.